Russian backed hackers suspected behind attack on French TV channel

The April hack shut down transmissions at TV5Monde, and saw its website and social media accounts hijacked with jihadist propaganda messages.

French anti-terror prosecutors then launched an investigation into the cyber attack

Investigators told French media that digital traces point Russia's way, to a sophisticated group of computer security hackers.

PARIS - A cyber-attack in April on France's TV5Monde television channel may have been carried out by Russian-based hackers, French investigators believe.

The April hack shut down transmissions at TV5Monde, and saw its website and social media accounts hijacked with jihadist propaganda messages.

The cyber attack was said to have been carried out by hackers representing the "Islamic State", the militant group fighting in Iraq and Syria.

French security investigators now reportedly suspect a Russian hacking group to be responsible.

They've told French media that digital traces point Russia's way, to a sophisticated group of computer security hackers.

"The investigations are at this stage looking towards a group of Russian hackers designated by the name APT28," a judicial source told "L'Express" newspaper.

"L'Express" said APT28, which also goes by Sednit and Pawn Storm, had previously tried to target the White House and NATO countries, as well as Russian dissidents and Ukrainian activists.

In the April attack, TV5 Monde was forced to broadcast pre-recorded programmes after the hack, which it described as "unprecedented in the history of television".

A message warning French troops to stay away from Islamic State was published on the station's Facebook page.

French anti-terror prosecutors then launched an investigation into the cyber attack, which saw 11 channels simultaneously blacked out by hackers claiming allegiance to the "Islamic State" (IS) group.

They also took over the website and social media accounts belonging to the French global television network.

In the April attack, the hackers reportedly uploaded various photos to TV5Monde's Facebook page, claiming to be personal IDs and resumes of relatives of French soldiers who fought in anti-IS operations.

Threats were issued towards them. The pictures were allegedly visible for a short time and then disappeared.

"Soldiers of France, stay away from the Islamic State! You have the chance to save your families, take advantage of it," one of the message on the hacked Facebook page read. "The CyberCaliphate continues its cyberjihad against the enemies of Islamic State," the message added.

TV5Monde officials had then termed it as the biggest cyber-attack the network has seen in the past 30 years.

The channel's social network and website also displayed threats in French, Arabic and English.